The Other White Haired Prodigy
by Winterine
Summary: Crackish crossover with a few of my fav characters from Naruto and guests from Bleach. Set after the Orochimaru invasion and before Sasuke leaves Konoha. For the Bleacheans, it's after the Soul Society arcs when Ichigo has returned home. On hiatus atm
1. Prologue

**The Other White-Haired Prodigy**

Crack, crossover  
Humour/General  
Characters: Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Kakashi, Naruto, Anko, Orochimaru  
Warnings: might be ooc despite my efforts --  
Setting: after the Orochimaru invasion…and before Sasuke leaves Konoha. For the Bleacheans, it's just after the Soul society arcs when Ichigo and co have returned home after saving Rukia but before the next arc.

* * *

**Prologue: Orders**

"Nee, Taichou," Matsumoto said as the doorway dissolved into nothingness behind them. "Do you really think we'll find something useful here?"

They were standing in a small clearing in a massive forest. The trees were enormous, rising up hundreds of feet, the many branches nearly obscuring direct sunlight completely. Twelfth Division had discovered a strange dimension that had practically been under their noses all this time, and they had been pretty sure that no shinigami or hollow had ever set foot in that realm before.

For better or worse, Tenth Division had been assigned to do a bit of reconnaissance. Specifically, Captain Hitsugaya had been sent, seeing as he was intelligent, capable and could easily pass as an innocent kid. He had decided to take Matsumoto with him, confident that his Third and Fourth Seat officers could handle basic administration of the division while they were gone.

"Who knows?" said her Captain, sounding a little bored.

They were both using gigai(1), dressed in the style of citizens that looked their approximate ages from Ichigo's living world. A name had yet to be decided for this realm, also that of the living.

"The air seems heavy here," Hitsugaya muttered, almost to himself. He passed a hand lazily through the air. "It feels like our powers won't be as effective as in Soul Society."

"You're right," said Matsumoto after a moment. "So, you think it's like our powers are restricted? Like what happens when we go to the living world?"

"Effectively, yes. It shouldn't be a problem, though, if we just keep that in mind and compensate."

Matsumoto agreed. She tugged a bit at her blouse subconsciously. It was too tight around the bust for her liking, and not in a style she would have chosen for herself.

"Taichou? Why did they decide we had to use gigai? They're so…restricting. And wouldn't staying in our spiritual form be more effective for stealth?"

Hitsugaya sighed, glancing down at his own gigai. He didn't want to use gigai either, and they both knew it wasn't his choice to use them, but they couldn't exactly go against a direct order. "To blend in, to interact with the locals and gather information directly and diplomatically. They're calling it an 'experiment' in Twelfth Division."

"And yet they don't go themselves," scoffed Matsumoto. "So much for them getting 'first hand data.'"

"Well, what do you expect? They're cowards and pretty useless in the field. If something goes wrong, they'll be in a lot of trouble."

Matsumoto could only agree.

They looked around, seeing nothing but forest in all directions. Hitsugaya closed his eyes a moment, a look of concentration washing over his face a moment. Opening his eyes, he gestured in one particular direction.

"I sense a considerable amount of the living that way. Follow me, Matsumoto."

Silently, the two shinigami sped through the forest, heading for the outskirts of Konoha.

* * *

(1) gigai - because the shinigami from Soul Society (ie. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto in this story) are souls, when they go to the real world they occasionally "wear" temporary, artificial bodies so that "normal" people can interact with them, remaining completely clueless to what the death gods really are. There's a few catches - once the shinigami use these fake bodies, they're more or less limited to human-level abilities (so they can't do things like walk on the air), and to get out of the fake bodies they need a different tool - Soul Candy, which they usually carry.  
For future reference - Soul Candy, when swallowed, forces a human or shinigami soul out of the body (whether it's the real body or a gigai) while temporarily replacing it with an artificial soul to keep the body animated. Mostly used as a safety precaution to avoid the body getting damaged and drawing unwanted attention - a soulless body would otherwise collapse where it was, as if the person fell unconscious. When the original soul returns to the body, the person returns to normal.

_Reviews are helpful and much appreciated! _


	2. Splitting Up

**Splitting Up **

"Chigau!" Anko said, getting a little heated. Kakashi and several other jounin looked at her with amused disbelief. "That is _not_ why I agreed to become Orochimaru's apprentice!"

"Sure, Anko," said Kakashi, patting her on the shoulder, still reading his book despite how interesting the discussion had been.

Genma was about to ask another question when Shizune entered the jounin lounge, letting the door slam a bit to get everyone's attention. The room fell silent as she took in the scene before her.

"You lot are _still_ here?" she said. "Lunch was over twenty minutes ago! You've all got things you should be doing, and half of you have teams to manage. Get a move on before Hokage-sama finds out!"

There was a generalised grumbling, but the room was quickly cleared as the jounin dispersed the way only ninja do.

"Not so fast, Anko," Shizune said, catching Anko by the arm before she could leave.

"Wh-what?" she said, blushing slightly. _Did she hear what we were talking about!?_ Anko thought in panic, though outwardly she remained mostly calm.

Shizune waited until she couldn't sense anyone else lefft around, and then sighed, losing her strict tone and releasing Anko's arm. "Let's go grab a bite. Tsunade's been in a mood all morning and I need to get out of here. Unless you have something to do?"

Anko laughed a little nervously from relief and waved the idea aside. "Of course not! I'm always willing to be a sympathetic ear! Let's go get some dango!" _Phew! So she didn't hear!_

* * *

Kakashi got an earful from Naruto and Sakura as he arrived late. After quickly apologising and assigning their D-rank mission for the day, the three went to look for the items desired by their client. Kakashi settled down to continue reading, not expecting them back for at least an hour with some of the items.

* * *

Just out of range of anyone's senses, two shinigami watched from a high vantage point.

"Matsumoto, we're going to split up for now. I'm going to approach that one," Hitsugaya said, motioning towards the silvery-white haired masked fellow with one eye covered.

Matsumoto withheld comment, but grinned a little. "Hai, Taichou. You saw those two women leave that place? I think I might see what they're up to."

"It's better if you find individuals."

"I know, but from here it looked like they were going to have some fun."

"Hn," said Hitsugaya, not surprised. "Remember to be back here on time, and be careful."

"Of course. Good luck, Taichou!"

"You too."

* * *

Kakashi looked up from his book, sensing an unfamiliar presence. A boy somewhere between ten and thirteen wearing rather outlandish clothing was walking vaguely his way, glancing around every now and then as if not sure which village he was in. Kakashi got up, putting his book away. He certainly wasn't a local, and didn't look like a merchant, a messenger, or someone who might be looking to hire ninja, and Kakashi was getting curious. Kakashi noted he wasn't exactly coming from the direction of the main gates, either, meaning he might have been wandering around for a while, perhaps ever since the ninja on gate duty had not had a reason to reason to refuse him entry. Then again, he might have somehow entered from a different entrance, or just snuck in another way.

"Oi there, kid, you look lost," he called out casually, taking a few steps towards the boy before stopping.

The boy stopped also and glanced at him in an appraising manner. _At least we speak the same language,_ thought Hitsugaya. _I suppose those boys at Twelfth Division were right about something for a change_.

"I suppose I am," Hitsugaya replied after hesitating a moment.

From what he had observed earlier, and seeing the man close up, Hitsugaya could tell this man was certainly not a nobody. He had weapon pouches openly strapped to him, and despite apparently only having one eye visible, he knew that this man could be very dangerous in a fight – Zaraki Kenpachi was a fine example of how having only one eye in use didn't mean someone was a pushover. Hitsugaya also noticed that, despite the casual stance, the man had moved with graceful efficiency, like any master fighter, and could probably move with deadly speed if necessary.

"Well if it helps, you're in the village of Konoha. I'm Hatake Kakashi. I have to say I'm a little curious who you are. You're obviously not from around here, and yet you're here alone. And I assume you didn't come through the main gates…" He continued his thoughts in his head. _He's not wearing a hitai-ate and doesn't seem to be armed…but that doesn't necessarily mean he's not a ninja. His presence is completely strange…_

"Konoha, eh?" the boy repeated quietly, glancing around a bit. "I'm…Hitsugaya," he said, deciding there was no reason to lie about his name. "Hitsugaya Toushirou. Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise."

"You were right, I didn't come through the main gates."

"I see. So, Hitsugaya-kun, forgive me for being blunt but what are you? We don't usually get lone strangers here just wandering…"

"I'm…a goat herder," Hitsugaya improvised. "I've…lost my goats."

"…I see," said Kakashi, neutrally. It was a bad lie, and it was obvious they both knew it. He could tell the boy was obviously measuring him just as he was measuring the kid. _This kid's far more intelligent and mature than most boys his age_, thought Kakashi. _Who the hell is he?! _He knew that this little Q&A session could take some time, and he was intrigued enough that he didn't want to scare the boy away. He also realised that until he knew what he was dealing with he couldn't justify simply assuming he was friendly _or_ hostile and acting accordingly. Kakashi sighed.

* * *

Anko and Shizune were about to tuck into the first serving of dango when a busty young woman entered the dango store, making a bit of a scene.

"Oh, for crying out loud! Where's a good companion when you need one!" she sobbed dramatically to no-one in particular and everyone at the same time. "All I want is a friend, a strong drink—" she quickly glanced and saw the dango at Anko and Shizune's table "—and some fresh dango. Is that too much to ask these days?"

She sat down, clearly unhappy, at the table next to Anko and Shizune's, inwardly grinning to herself that she had all eyes on her.

"Hey, join the club," said Anko with a grin. Anko shot a quick, questioning glance at Shizune, who shrugged slightly. Anko, then motioned that the young woman might join them.

_Success!_ Matsumoto thought as she moved to sit with the two jounin.

* * *

A pair of serpentine eyes observed the Copy Ninja and the white-haired boy as they sat under the shade of a tree, chatting like old friends, occasionally sharing a laugh. Orochimaru licked his lips as he hungrily eyed the younger of the two, completely forgetting that he had come to Konoha to find Sasuke.


	3. Impatience and Worry

**Impatience and Worry**

_Soul Society, Eleventh Division grounds_

Madarame Ikkaku was bored and showing it. Ayasegawa Yumichika was deflecting his hot-headed friend's verbal diarrhoea with his usual laid-back attitude, knowing that Ikkaku wasn't irritated at him, but at one of the usual things that always irked the Third Seat. This time, it was bureaucracy and red tape.

"I can't take it anymore! When was the last time we got to cut some things up!?" Ikkaku groaned loudly.

"It hasn't been all that long, you know."

"Yeah, so why didn't any of _us_ get the assignment to go to that barbarian world!"

"They'll send for our division when they need help. And you know they will. Everyone always need our help."

"Yeah! 'Cos no other division fights like Zaraki Division!"

"So you'll just have to be patient and wait."

Ikkaku groaned again. He finally flopped down on the grass near his friend who sat on a clean bench, giving up for the moment. "Hey Yumichika?"

"Hmm?"

"Pass the sake."

_

* * *

__Soul Society, somewhere away from prying eyes _

Two captains, one wearing a hat and one with flowing white hair, were enjoying the peace and quiet of that particularly pleasant day. The warm sun and gentle breeze were lulling them into a restful afternoon slumber. Two pairs of rapidly approaching flash steps stirred them both into wakefulness.

"Taichou!" a young female voice called out from one direction.

"Taichou! I have news!" a male's voice called out nearly at the same time from a different direction.

Kotetsu Kiyone and Kotsubaki Sentarou arrived about the same time, both panting hard from exertion, and both then immediately trying to recover and look presentable before their beloved captain. The two captains shared a glance, and Kyouraku Shunsui looked on in amusement as Ukitake Juushirou smiled warmly at his two acting lieutenants.

"Good work, you two," the captain of the Thirteenth Division said. "What news have you brought?"

"I have the update that you requested!" Kiyone immediately answered, getting up from where the two had been respectfully kneeling. Sentarou jumped up too, insisting he had arrived first.

"Does it matter who arrived first?" the Eighth Division captain drawled. He then faced his friend and said, "Should I be bothered that Nanao-chan isn't here to report something to me?"

"Ah, no, no, this is just something specific I wanted to know," Juushirou said with an unconvincing laugh.

"Oh?" Shunsui said, half-curious. "So, what's the report?" he asked the two.

Kiyone glanced at Juushirou seeking permission to speak before answering the other captain, but Sentarou took a risk and spoke up first.

"It seems Hitsugaya-taichou and Matsumoto-fukutaichou have made contact with the inhabitants of the other world! Initial reports have been sent through to Twelfth Division for processing; Central 46 and all Captains should receive the report from them by tomorrow morning. More importantly, it seems Hitsugaya-taichou is well and as yet unharmed!"

Juushirou smiled, acknowledging the report and thanking his subordinates before dismissing them. His fellow captain looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you _still_ checking in on that boy? I doubt he'll be as pleased to know you watch over him so carefully. He _can_ take care of himself, can't he? At least most of the time, heh. He is a captain, and with good reason, after all. Some might think you're stalking the poor lad!" Shunsui laughed good-naturedly.

Juushirou laughed also, blushing ever so slightly as he fondly thought of the youngest captain in the history of Soul Society. "Well, you know I have a soft spot for him. But it's nothing weird, really!"

"Oh, I know," Shunsui said with a chuckle. "But does _he_? Next you'll be sending those two over to 'assist' Hitsugaya, or worse, you'll be heading over to that place to check in on him personally...I won't cover for you if you tried that, just so you know."

"I know," Juushirou said with a sigh. "I can't justify going there, not even if it is to just take a look around for myself. Are you telling me you're not the slightly bit curious about the place?"

"Perhaps."

"Anyway, I do worry. Why they keep sending him on these unusual missions, and why he keeps accepting, is beyond me. Are they waiting for him to fail or something? It seems unfair..."

"Who knows. But he's young. And he's in good company. He'll survive." Shunsui grinned a little, thinking of Matsumoto Rangiku. He wasn't hopelessly attracted to her like so many were, but there was nothing wrong with appreciating a beauty. So distracted by his thoughts he was, he didn't quite hear a slight change in tone in his companion's voice.

"I hope so."

* * *

_A/N terribly sorry for those awaiting updates! I haven't given up on this story, believe me. This is kind of a peace offering, a short chapter. I hope they're not too OOC... I have a lot of Bleach chapters/episodes to catch up with, plus busy real life dramas, but I will be veeery slowly continuing with this. Thanks for the encouraging (and hopefully continuing!) reviews and your patience! Sat 27 Feb 2010_


End file.
